I think what you describe applies in some, but not all cases. It probably comes down to the nature of the contract between the staffing firm and the employer. You might be describing an 'exclusive arrangement' or something like that.

I work in the federal contracting area. As a job seeker, I notice that many employers use both staffing firms and their in-house recruiting for the same positions. Staffing firms seem to be more experienced at what they do (vs. entry-level in-house HR people). Thus, they can more efficiently get the right people to be interviewed.

Most employers will prefer the friends and family approach...i.e, referrals. It bypasses the staffing firms, which they obviously don't like.

Anonymous wrote:[
The organization has a contract with a staffing agency. They are required to use a staffing agency so even if the organization finds and hires the candidate on their own, the agency gets a cut. This is to cut down on recruitment costs and playing favorites by hiring friends and family (which doesn't work if the org hires on their own).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some places are required to go through an agency. I know someone who applied directly to the company, interviewed, got hired, only to be contacted by the staffing agency after all the work was done (except their paperwork) to step in and take a percentage of their cut, and part of his paycheck.

What company was this? I doubt someone got all the way through an offer only to find out later that a percentage of his salary was going to some staffing agency.

The organization has a contract with a staffing agency. They are required to use a staffing agency so even if the organization finds and hires the candidate on their own, the agency gets a cut. This is to cut down on recruitment costs and playing favorites by hiring friends and family (which doesn't work if the org hires on their own).

Anonymous wrote:I have heard that staffing agencies post jobs on Craigslist without the company's permission and pretending to be the company--so I wonder if sometimes people think they are applying directly to the employer but instead are going thru a recruiter (not you, OP, just in general).

I don't see the point of recruiters/staffing companies in the age of the internet.

My friend works for one and she says this is absolutely true- the industry is changing b/c of the Internet- she doesn't think it will be around forever in its current form.

Anonymous wrote:Some places are required to go through an agency. I know someone who applied directly to the company, interviewed, got hired, only to be contacted by the staffing agency after all the work was done (except their paperwork) to step in and take a percentage of their cut, and part of his paycheck.

What company was this? I doubt someone got all the way through an offer only to find out later that a percentage of his salary was going to some staffing agency.

Some places are required to go through an agency. I know someone who applied directly to the company, interviewed, got hired, only to be contacted by the staffing agency after all the work was done (except their paperwork) to step in and take a percentage of their cut, and part of his paycheck.

I have heard that staffing agencies post jobs on Craigslist without the company's permission and pretending to be the company--so I wonder if sometimes people think they are applying directly to the employer but instead are going thru a recruiter (not you, OP, just in general).

I don't see the point of recruiters/staffing companies in the age of the internet.

My company simultaneously works with recruiters AND our HR group to try to find candidates. The candidates that come in through HR have a slight edge because we don't have to pay a fee if they work out. If someone applies directly and is also presented through an agency, whichever thing happens first is what we go by in terms of whether a fee is owed.

A good candidate is a good candidate. We don't look the other way if someone qualified comes through an agency.

A staffing agency can't present your resume without your permission.

I've applied to several companies only to have recruiters call me up to say they'd like to present my resume for a great new opportunity.........it's always jobs to which I've already applied. I've heard that most companies won't ask you to come in if a recruiter has presented your resume because they don't want to argue with the agency over fees. Is that true? So if some jack ass staffing agency presents my resume without my permission than I have even less of a chance of finding a job???